FATAL TRAM ACCIDENT.
A fatal accident occurred to George Townsend, driver on the Castle street tramway, about noon to-day. It appears that he stopped his car opposite the stables, in Cumberland street, intending to run over there for something, and just as he stepped off the platform the horses started. In attempting to stop them he slipped and fell, and a front wheel of the car passed over his body. He retained hold of the reins and was dragged while he was between the wheels for some distance. He was at once conveyed to the Hospital, where he died at 2.40 p.m. The deceased (who was about fifty years of age) and his two sons have been in the tramway employ for some considerable time. -Evening Star, 6/12/1883.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held at the Hospital at noon to-day before Mr Coroner Hocken and a jury touching the death of George Frederick John Townsend.
The Coroner said that the deceased’s death was presumably the result of accident. The sole point of the inquiry was to determine whether deceased, being an old man, was a fit person to discharge the duties of driver on the Castle street line alone.
Edward Townsend stated that the deceased was his father. He was fifty-five years of age, a native of Pimlico, married, and of the Anglican persuasion. For the greater portion of his life deceased had been a hotelkeeper. He had been driving the Castle street car for the last three months. He took a glass of drink occasionally. He was sole driver on that line, his hours being from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. He was in good health, and never complained that the work was too much for him.
Charles G. Hammer was a passenger in the tram-car at the time of the accident. There was also a lady passenger, and she called his attention to the fact that the driver was unsteady and the worse for liquor. This lady was in the car before witness got in, and she said she was glad he had got in, as she was trembling with fear. Witness observed the driver, who seemed to be unsteady, rolling about a little, though able to drive. When nearing Cumberland street witness felt that the car was leaving the line. The female passenger had got out before this. He turned round, and missing the driver, at once jumped out and went to the horses’ heads. They stopped immediately, and witness found that deceased was lying under the car. The two front wheels had passed over him. Witness called for help, and deceased was removed from under the car. Witness was of opinion that deceased slipped off the car and retained possession of the reins. He had ridden in the car almost daily, and had seen deceased unsteady, but not to such an extent as he was yesterday.
Charles Banwell, who witnessed the accident, gave evidence that he assisted to remove deceased from under the car. Witness was of opinion that deceased fell over the splashboard, and that the front wheel passed over him.
Dr Davis, house surgeon at the Dunedin Hospital, stated that when deceased was received into the place shortly after noon yesterday he was suffering from severe internal injuries. He was in a state of great collapse, and died soon afterwards.
John Craig, traffic manager on the Dunedin and suburban tramways, stated that the deceased had been fourteen or fifteen months in the tramway employ. He had been engaged driver of the Castle street car for six or seven months. Witness knew him to he slightly addicted to drink, but consisted him safe enough to be entrusted with the management of a tramcar.
The Coroner: You see from the evidence, especially from the remark made by the lady, that there was some cause for fear.
Witness: The manager of the stable department informed witness a little after eleven yesterday morning that deceased was a little the worse for liquor, and he accused him of it, but deceased denied it, Witness gave instructions that another driver was to take his place, and this would have been done directly the car reached the monument at noon.
The Coroner: It is satisfactory to know that you took that precaution. Have you known of any other dereliction of the sort?
Witness: The deceased was once very slightly the worse for drink six or seven months ago, and witness suspended him.
The Coroner: Do you not think the duties of driver on that line too much for one man?
Witness did not think so. He was relieved at mid-day for a little over an hour; the duties were very light, and special care was taken that quiet horses were put on that line.
The Coroner said that there could be no doubt that the accident was occasioned by the deceased’s own intoxication at the time. As regarded the subsidiary question whether the work was too much for one man, the jury were quite empowered to express an opinion. It did not appear to him that the work was too much. They all knew what the traffic was on that line; the drive was a quite steady one, and there was a rest at each end. He did not think that overwork could have contributed to the accident, especially as it occurred in the middle of the day.
The jury found that the deceased met his death by accident, accelerated by drink, They were of opinion that no blame attached to the tramway authorities. -Evening Star, 7/12/1883.
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